Calibrachoa plant named ‘Kakegawa S68’

ABSTRACT

‘Kakegawa S68’ is a new  Calibrachoa  cultivar particularly distinguished by having a light rose flower color with rose veins and a semi-creeping growth habit.

Genus and species: Calibrachoa sp.

Variety denomination: ‘Kakegawa S68’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of Calibrachoa, botanically known as Calibrachoa sp., and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Kakegawa S68’. It is characterized by having a light rose flower color and a semi-creeping growth habit. The new cultivar originated from a hybridization made in Kakegawa, Japan in 1999. A proprietary Calibrachoa breeding line with red flowers and a semi-creeping growth habit (female) was crossed with a proprietary Calibrachoa breeding line with rose flowers and a mounding growth habit (male).

In February 2000, F₁ seed from the above hybridization was sown in the greenhouse. Five single-plant selections were made based on their red flower color and erect growth habit and intercrossed to produce F₂ seed. In August 2000, F₂ seed was sown and 120 total plants were evaluated. One single-plant selection was made based on its light rose vein flower color and semi-creeping growth habit. ‘Kakegawa S68’ was then asexually propagated through rooted plant cuttings in both Kakegawa, Japan and Salinas, Calif. ‘Kakegawa S68’ has been shown to reproduce true to type in successive generations of asexual propagation.

Description of the Genus Calibrachoa Llave & Lex.

The genus Petunia was originally established in 1803 by A. L. Jussieu, who described both P. parviflora and P. nyctaginifloa as type species. Using a non-horticultural system that selected the first mentioned species as the type species (lectotype), N. L. Britton and H. A. Brown declared P. parviflora as the type species for Petunia in 1913.

During the 1980's and 1990, H. J. Wijsman published a series of articles regarding the ancestry of P. hybrida, the Garden Petunia, and the inter-relationship of several species classified as Petunia. These studies discovered that P. hybrida and its ancestral species, P. nyctaginiflora (=P. axillaris) and P. violacea (=P. integrifolia), possessed 14 pairs of chromosomes while several other species, including P. parviflora, possessed 18 pairs of chromosomes. Since P. parviflora was the lectotype species for the Petunia genus, Wijsman and J. H. de Jong proposed transferring the 14 chromosome species to the genus Stimoryne. Horticulturists opposed reclassifying the Garden Petunia and in 1986, Wijsman proposed the alternative of making P. nyctaginiflora the lectotype species for Petunia and transferring the 18 chromosome species to another genus. The I. N. G. Committee adopted this proposal. By 1990 Wijsman had transferred several species, including P. parviflora (=C. parviflora) to Calibrachoa, originally established by Llave and Lexarza in 1825. Calibrachoa parviflora (=C. mexicana Llave & Lexarza) is now the type species for the genus Calibrachoa.

Classification of the current Petunia and Calibrachoa species is still in progress. New species are also being identified. Consequently a proper description has not been written for the Calibrachoa genus. Calibrachoa can, however, be distinguished from Petunia based on the higher chromosome number, chromosome morphology, plant branching habit and type of flower bud aestivation. Whereas Petunia species bear a flower peduncle and one new stem from a node, Calibrachoa bear a flower peduncle and three stems. Petunia species have a cochlear corolla bud, and a single outermost petal covers the other four, radially folded and terminally contorted petals. Calibrachoa flower buds are flat with all five petals linearly folded and the two lower petals forming a cover around the three other petals and fused together.

DESCRIPTION OF PHOTOGRAPHS

This new Calibrachoa plant is illustrated by the accompanying photographs which show the plant's form, foliage and flowers. The colors shown are as true as can be reasonably obtained by conventional photographic procedures.

FIG. 1. shows overall plant habit.

FIG. 2. shows the mature flower.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW CULTIVAR

The following detailed description sets forth the distinctive characteristics of ‘Kakegawa S68’. The data which define these characteristics were collected from asexual reproductions carried out in Salinas, Calif. The detailed description was taken from plants grown under greenhouse conditions for approximately 4 months from transplanting of rooted cuttings. Color references are to The R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society of London (R.H.S.), 4^(th) Edition.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

-   Classification:     -   -   Family.—Solanaceae.         -   Species.—Calibrachoa sp. Cultivar ‘Kakegawa S68’.         -   Common name.—Calibrachoa. -   Parentage:     -   -   Male.—Unnamed and unknown proprietary Calibrachoa breeding             line.         -   Female.—Unnamed and unknown proprietary Calibrachoa breeding             line. -   Plant description:     -   -   Life cycle.—Tender Perennial.         -   Form.—Freely branching.         -   Habit.—Decumbent.         -   Height.—10 cm as measured from soil level to top of plant.         -   Spread.—60 cm. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cuttings.—Vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—5-6 weeks.         -   Time to bloom from propagation.—10 weeks after root             development. -   Environmental conditions for plant growth: The terminal 1.0-1.5     inches of actively growing stems were excised and the base of each     cutting dipped for one to two seconds in a 1:9 solution of DIP 'N     GROW root inducing solution immediately prior to placing the cutting     into a cell tray. The cell tray contained a moistened peat     moss-based growing medium. The cuttings were misted with water from     overhead for 10 seconds every 30 minutes until sufficient roots were     formed. Rooted cuttings were transplanted and grown individually in     20 cm diameter plastic pots in a glass greenhouse located in     Salinas, Calif. Pots contained a peat moss-based growing medium.     Soluble fertilizer containing 20% nitrogen, 10% phosphorus and 20%     potassium was applied once a day or every other day by overhead     irrigation. Pots were top-dressed with a dry, slow-release     fertilizer containing 20% nitrogen, 10% phosphorous and 18%     potassium. The typical average air temperature was 24° C. -   Stems:     -   -   Stem color.—RHS 143C (green).         -   Anthocyanin color.—RHS 77A (purple).         -   Pubescence.—Heavy.         -   Pubescence color.—RHS 155A (white).         -   Stem description.—Ancipital (round).         -   Stem diameter.—0.5 cm.         -   Stem length.—2.5 cm.         -   Internode length.—0.8-2.0 cm. -   Leaves:     -   -   Leaf arrangement.—Alternate.         -   Leaf shape.—Elliptical.         -   Leaf apex.—Mucronate.         -   Leaf base.—Decurrent.         -   Leaf margin.—Entire.         -   Leaf surface.—Rough, dull.         -   Leaf surface pubescence.—Slight.         -   Pubescence color.—RHS 155A (white).         -   Venation.—Pinnate.         -   Leaf length.—1.8-2.5 cm.         -   Leaf width.—0.4-0.7 cm.         -   Leaf color.—Upper surface: RHS 139B (green). Lower surface:             RHS 138B (green).         -   Petiole length.—0.4-0.08 cm.         -   Petiole color.—RHS 144D (yellow-green). -   Inflorescence:     -   -   Flowering habit.—Indeterminate.         -   Flower type.—Solitary.         -   Flowering requirements.—Will flower so long as day length is             greater than 12 hours and temperature exceeds 13° C.         -   Duration of flowers.—About 5 days.         -   Corolla shape.—Flowers are funnel-shaped with five fused             petals and five fissures dividing the petals.         -   Fragrance.—Absent. -   Flower buds:     -   -   Bud surface.—Pubescent.         -   Bud length.—1.5 cm.         -   Bud diameter.—0.4 cm.         -   Bud shape.—Ovate.         -   Bud color.—RHS 150C (yellow-green) with RHS 79A (purple)             veins.         -   Peduncle length.—2.0-2.4 cm.         -   Peduncle color.—RHS 143B (green). -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower depth.— 2.0-2.2 cm.         -   Flower tube length.—1.1-1.2 cm.         -   Flower tube diameter.—0.5 cm.         -   Flower diameter.—2.5 cm.         -   Calyx.—5 sepals, free.         -   Sepals.—Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Mucronate. Margin: Entire.             Sepal color: Upper surface: RHS 137A (green). Lower surface:             RHS 137C (green).         -   Petal shape.—Spatulate.         -   Petal length.—1 cm.         -   Petal width.—1 cm.         -   Petal apex.—Truncate.         -   Petal margin.—Entire.         -   Petal texture.—Glabrous.         -   Petal color.—Lobe color: Upper surface: RHS 58C (red-purple)             at tip darkening to RHS 60A (red-purple) at base mixed with             RHS 156D (gray-white) in a netted pattern with RHS 79D             (purple) midvein. Lower surface: RHS 156D (gray-white) with             RHS 60A (red-purple) midvein. Corolla tube color: Inner: RHS             6A (yellow) with RHS 60D (red-purple) veins. Outer: RHS 160A             (gray-yellow) with RHS 60D (red-purple) veins. -   Reproductive organs:     -   -   Stamen number.—5, free.         -   Stamen color.—RHS 144B (yellow-green).         -   Pollen color.—RHS 5A (yellow).         -   Ovary.—Superior.         -   Pistil number.—1 per inflorescence.         -   Pistil length.—1.14 mm.         -   Stigma color.—RHS 144A (yellow-green).         -   Style length.—0.915 mm.         -   Style color.—RHS 144A (yellow-green).         -   Seed production.—None.

Disease and Insect Resistance

‘Kakegawa S68’ has excellent resistance to rain, heat and drought, although it will not tolerate temperatures below 10° C. ‘Kakegawa S68’ is susceptible to Botrytis, powdery mildew, various stem and root rots, and certain viruses, such as Tobacco Mosaic Virus and Impatiens Necrotic Spotted Virus. ‘Kakegawa S68’ is also suceptible to aphids, leafminers, whiteflies and various Lepidoptera.

Comparison with Known Cultivars

Calibrachoa ‘Kakegawa S68’ is a distinct variety of Calibrachoa due to its light rose flower color with rose veins and semi-creeping growth habit. ‘Kakegawa S68’ is distinguished from known cultivars mainly by flower color and growth habit as shown in Table 1 below.

TABLE 1 ‘9B-58C’ ‘7BC-42A-1’ Characteristic ‘Kakegawa S68’ (unpatented) (unpatented) Flower color Light Rose Red Rose Growth habit Semi-creeping Semi-decumbent Mounding

‘Kakegawa S68’ is most similar to the variety ‘Kakegawa S52’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,046); however, there are differences in flower petal color and corolla tube color as described in Table 2 below.

TABLE 2 Characteristic ‘Kakegawa S68’ ‘Kakegawa S52’ Petal color, RHS 58C (red-purple) at tip RHS 48C (red) upper surface darkening to RHS 60A with RHS 47A (red-purple) at base mixed with (red) mid-veins RHS 156D (gray-white) in a netted pattern Petal color, RHS 156D (gray-white) with RHS 50A (red) lower surface RHS 60A (red-purple) mid-vein Outer corolla RHS 160A (gray-yellow) with RHS 6A (yellow) tube color RHS 60D (red-purple) veins Inner corolla RHS 6A (yellow) with RHS 5A (yellow) tube color RHS 60D (red-purple) veins 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Calibrachoa plant as shown and described herein. 